Perks of Being a Wallflower (Book)

 

Perks of Being a Wallflower
By: Stephen Chbosky
ISBN: 9780671027346
Length: 213 Pages
Reason: Movie is coming out

I just finished Perks of Being a Wallflower, and let me tell you I loved it. I have always been a fan of books that have been compared to Catcher in the Rye. I guess part of me just loves a good coming of age story. I have been wanting to read this book for some time now, and because of the movie’s release date is slowly creeping up on us I thought now would be a better time than any.

Good Reads Summary:

Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This is the story of what it’s like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. Caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it puts him on a strange course through uncharted territory. The world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. Through Charlie, Stephen Chbosky has created a deeply affecting coming-of-age story, a powerful novel that will spirit you back to those wild and poignant roller coaster days known as growing up.

Review:

Dear Friend,

I just finished reading Perks of Being a Wallflower. I loved it, even though I am always weary on books that are written in letter format. I loved how the author really developed Charlie, the protagonist, throughout the novel. At the beginning Charlie decides to write letters to a stranger, that he has randomly selected from the phone book. He expects nothing in return but for them to read each letter. I really enjoyed this idea, mostly because it allowed my inner voyeur to surface a bit. Each letter is written about the major events that happen throughout Charlie freshman year of high school.

Charlie is socially awkward and he often finds himself slipping into a dark place. Sam, the main love interest, provides amazing conflict with Charlie. She is that fun free spirited girl from high school; she just wants everyone to be happy. Then there is her brother, Patrick, I was really happy with how the author portray him. Patrick is gay, not flamboyant, just your regular relaxed high schooler waiting to escape small town life.

The main focus of the book is around their interaction together. One of my favorite events that occur weekly in the book is the Rocky Horror Picture Show performances that Patrick (Franken Furter) and Sam (Janet) are in. That is defiantly something original.

The book takes you through almost every possible conflict a teenager could have in high school in one school year. Sex, drugs, violence, abuse, and crying are no stranger in this book. The author had a fantastic way of addressing these items without much detail but still driving the message home.
I really like how the author also progressed Charlie’s writing style to reflect that Charlie was gain knowledge and experience with writing himself. In the beginning i found the book to more like reading someone’s train of thought and towards the end I found it a bit more pieced together, this was a very nice touch.
 

Love Always,

YA Bookends

I rate this book at 4 out of 5

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